Movie review
2023 · · Kids · Fantasy · Animation · Comedy · Adventure · Family
Two Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi, travel through a magical pipe and get separated. Mario ends up in the Mushroom Kingdom, while Luigi is captured by the evil Bowser. To save his brother, Mario must team up with Princess Peach and Donkey Kong. The movie features a highly capable, action-focused version of Princess Peach who trains Mario and leads the battle, while Luigi is portrayed as the captive in need of rescue.
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Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Woke representation / casting
Standard game-faithful casting with no identity emphasis, swaps, or diversity pushes in story or marketing.
0%
Woke political dialogue
The film has no modern political talk. There is no activist lecturing or social justice talk in the script.
0%
Identity-driven story themes
There are light girl power themes. Princess Peach is shown as a highly skilled leader. She easily finishes the training course and leads the army. Mario starts out clumsy, and Luigi is the one who needs saving. However, Mario works hard, becomes a true hero, and saves his brother in the end.
25%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The story does not criticize Western institutions, traditional families, or social norms. Bowser is just a cartoon villain, and the story is a classic fight between good and evil.
0%
Woke character or canon changes
The movie changes the classic game setup. Princess Peach is an action hero who does not get captured. Luigi is captured instead and needs to be saved. This change is partly based on newer Mario games where Peach is a playable character.
30%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
There was some online debate before the movie came out. Some people worried Princess Peach was being turned into a modern girlboss. After it was released, many viewers praised the film for being simple, fun, and free of modern political lectures.
25%
Creator track record context
The directors, writers, and producers have almost no history of social justice work. They do not have a track record of putting political messages in their projects.
3%
Production
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